Zucchini
This is the most common and beloved relative of a pumpkin( a kind of solid-squash pumpkin).He really deserves this love because of its unpretentiousness, early maturity, prolificity, moreover, zucchini is the most cold-resistant of all pumpkin cultures.
Choice of variety
The choice is huge: there are varieties, there are hybrids. Hybrids are preferable for winter storage. From the white-fruited zucchini well known varieties Beloblodny, Gribovsky, from the new hybrids are interesting early hybrid hybrids Isolde( bush), Albatross, Gorny. Of the bush golden is preferable to the Golden bush, exceptionally prolific, and also the Anchor. The new early hybrid Kavili ties up the fruit of light green color even in the rain, there is an early-born variety of Emerald with a dark green skin, a very funny sort of ball, perfectly round, green with white dots, very fast. And another good early ripening variety is Skvorushka, a gray-green color.
From varieties for winter storage( zucchini), you can grow a whole range of all-colored zucchini. The most delicious of all Kuand is green with grayish spots and strokes, the Marquise is a dark green color, the Zebra with striped fruits, dark green Diamant, Aeronaut, Gray, Tristan and many others.
Features of growing
The seeds of zucchini come out at a temperature of 15-16 degrees literally on the 4th-5th day. They can ascend at a temperature of 12-13 degrees, but after 7-8 days. And since the plants enter into fruiting already 45-60 days after emergence, it is easiest to sow the zucchini with dry seeds directly into the soil. If you are not too lazy and make a warmed ground for him, like for a pumpkin, or drop him on a compost heap, provided that it is located in the sun, then it can be planted very early( in the Northwest - in early May), but, of course, under cover, until the threat of nocturnal frosts passes.
Zucchini sow and grow just like a pumpkin. In my opinion, it is better to grow shrubberies because they do not creep, grow compactly, and therefore do not take up much space on the site. They can be planted at a distance of 60-70 cm from each other. On yield they are exactly the same as those that are stiff. Very pretty looking flower beds of 1-2 squash, grown on vertical beds of tires, composed one on the other. Vertical beds can be all of different heights and are located in different places of the site, if only in the sun.
Top dressing and watering
Additional fertilizing and watering for the squash are the same as for pumpkin, only each plant should be given half as much( 0.5 liters instead of 1 liter, 0.25 liters instead of 0.5 liters, 1/2 teaspoonfor 2 zucchini instead of one and so on).Zucchini, like the pumpkin, likes to "eat", the agronorm at it is N + P + K = 46, and the ratio between nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium N: P: K = 46: 13: 43, that is, he loves potassium less, rather than pumpkin, but more like nitrogen, and therefore, as soon as night frosts pass, it is necessary to feed it all season with infusion of manure or weeds. But it is not necessary to introduce fresh manure into the hole when planting: firstly, it will cause a rapid growth of the green mass to the detriment of fruit-bearing, and secondly, it can become infected with root rot. But now he loves fresh fertilizing with fresh manure.
The soil under the marrow, as well as under the pumpkin, can be mulched by the slime left after the infusion of weeds. Then it can be watered simply with water, without organic top dressing. Under the growing fruit should be put a board, especially in wet regions. To remove the fruits must be young, then each bush can give 25-40 fruits during the summer. Young zucchini are the most delicious, they do not need to peel, they are better canned and marinated. For winter storage zucchini should fully ripen on the bushes, for storage grow special varieties of courgettes - zucchini.
Remove zucchini for storage along with a long pedicle and store near the outer wall in an upright position. When stored in zucchini formed a very dense skin, which prevents moisture loss, so these zucchini can be stored for so long in the apartment. Do not forget that the zucchini is not a cucumber, it does not like a surplus of moisture. If there is a lot of water in the cellular juice, the courgette will not be stored, it will start to rot, and because zucchini are watered moderately.
Diseases and pests in a zucchini are the same as for all pumpkin. Zucchini fry, stew, marinate, canned, cooked vegetable caviar from them and cooked jam.
Typical failures in growing a zucchini
Do not tie fruit or young greens begin to turn yellow or rot. There was no fertilization: either there is cold, rainy weather, and therefore insect pollinators do not fly, or you destroyed them yourself, sprinkling the garden with poisonous chemicals during flowering.
In this case pollinate your zucchini themselves in the morning. But the reason can be another - the temperature drops below 10-12 degrees at night, the plants freeze - well, so cover them at night with lutrasil.
Do not water cold water - all pumpkin roots like heat more than the aboveground part, water for irrigation should be at least 20 degrees.
Courgettes have an irregular shape - they have a ballooned end. The reason is a lack of potassium. On a wet soil, pour the ashes( about half a liter pot under the plant) or sprinkle the plant in the evening with a "Uniflor-bud" solution( 2 teaspoons per 10 liters).
The zucchini has a narrowed tip, and it is lighter in color than the rest of the fruit - this is a lack of nitrogen. Feed the infusion of weeds, manure or bird droppings.
Begins to rot the tips of already large fruits - this is a surplus of moisture. Stop watering. If it rains, then make a film canopy over the zucchini.
Cut the decayed part of the fruit to a healthy part and burn the cut on the candle flame. And even better - take off and eat this zucchini.